Equalizing device



April 8, 1941. F. PRAZEN EQUALIZ-ING DEVICE Filed Jan. 24, 1940 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS provision of a device atented Apr. 8, 1941 PATENT OFFICE 2,237,972 EQUALIZ N G DEVICE Frank Pruen, Price, Utah Application ,Ianuan 24, 1940, Serial 1.0mm. (c1. eco -104) The invention relates to an equalizing device and more especially to equalizing connections in a tandem arrangement of inultiple'axles, traction wheels and springs for the running gear of a wheeled vehicle. v p e The primary object otthe invention is the pro vision of a device of this character wherein the driving or power wheels of a tandem arrangement or a running gear for a vehicle will be as:

sured of positive traction upon an iace of a roadway and at the same time distributing theload pressure upon the wheels in the tandem arrangement thereof whentraveling over the roadway whether irregular or straight and at all times maintaining driving contact of the 15' power or driving wheels with the surface en gaged thereby. 1 Another object of the invention. is the provi sion of a device of this character wherein the springs arranged in ranged traction wheels in association with said. device are suspended from the vehicle chassis irame in a unique and novel manner and the movable surfaces at the points of connection of the said springs latter and the said springs with the chassis frame will be thoroughly lubricated to minimize wear and to assure the proper functioning thereot when the traction wheels in tandem arrangement are disturbed through traction upon an irregular surface or road bed, over which;,the vehicle travels. I 1

A'turther object or the invention is the provision of a device oi this character wherein on the traveler the vehicle a wheels thereof upon a road surface by the wheels in tandem arrangement by automatic operation of the device will be assured irrespective or irregularity or evenness in the road bed. 1 A still further object of the invention is theprovision of a device of this character wherein a downward thrust upon the power or drivingwheel of a tandem running gear arrangement for a vehicle will instantly come about or occur when the driving or power wheel irregular sur- 1Q tandem with similarly arwith the deviceas well as the positive traction, of- 'the 85 oughly reliable and efficient in operation, being possessed of maximum strength, wear and ability, and inexpensive to manufacture and install. i

. With theseand other objects in view, the invention consists in the features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described in detail, illustrated in the accompanying drawing, which discloses the preferred embodiment of the invention and pointed out in the claim hereunto appended.

In the accompanying drawing:

. Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevation partly in section of the tandem wheels, axle and spring arrangement of a vehicle showing the equalizer constructed in accordance with the invention applied and the wheels of the tandem travelin upon a smooth straight road bed.

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 showing one of the wheels of the tandem lowered from the plane of. traclr'age of the other wheel of said tandent with the' equalizer in an automatically adiusted position.

inFigure 1.

line #4 of Figure the arrows.

Figure 515 1 looking in the direction of a detail sectional view taken on the line 5--5 of Figure 1 looking in the direction of the arrows. I

' Figure 6 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view through the equalizer at its connection with one of the springs oi! the tandem assembly thereof.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views in the drawing.

40 Referring to the drawing in detail, A desig-.

i nates generally a portion or beams of a chassis mole-.123 the power or of one of .the side sills frame for a wheeled veat one side of the vehicle. Itris understood that I I the tandem lowers relative to metre; plane the nth-crowned of suchr tandem arrangement of wheels exists at the tandem thereof and in this manner avoiding ing wheels tracking a road bed is-avoid'ed or re lieved to a'minimum. v

A still further object o! the invention is the or this character, which in its construction and association is simple,

" ..dem arrangement of a the other side of the vehicle,'it being required or mm-understanding of the invention that a tanpair of such wheels at one v illustrated and thus hereinaiter described for association with the equalvizerdevice denoted generally at D in the said drawing.

The axles I0 and H for the wheels B and thor- C,.respectively, are fastened clipped at I! hung dur- Figure 3 isja plan view 01 the assembly shown driving wheel and'C the v other; wheel of a tandem arrangement of these or suspended from springs l8 and I4, respectively,

each of the multiple leaf bowed type. The clips i2 connecting the axle iii to the spring l3 dispose this axle iii slightly rearwardly of the transverse median between the ends of the spring i3 while the clips i2 connecting the axle II with the spring i4 dispose the axle forwardly of the transverse median between the ends of the said spring it. Such disposition of these axles I and H with respect to the foregoing is disclosed by Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the drawing.

Located between the ends of the springs i3 and i4 and suitably mounted as at l5 with respect to the sill or beam A of the chassis frame is a horizontally arranged shaft I6 having hung thereon the equalizer device D for rocking movement and hereinafter described in detail.

The spring i3 has the forward end thereof pivotally connected at ll to the sill or beam A while the spring M has its forward end pivoted at l8 to the equalizer device D. The connecting of the spring i4 is brought about by having a leaf or spring ply i9 thereof turned at about a pin 22 of the pivot l8, said pin being provided with an axially disposed bore having secured in one end thereof the inner end of a lubricant fitting whereby lubricant may be supplied to the outer face of the pin and inner face of the turn 20 as hereinafter set forth. The uppermost leaf or ply 23 of this spring i 4 has an upturned terminal abutment 24 contacting with the turn 20 of the leaf or ply i9. spring M has an end 26 of the said leaf or ply partially carried about the turn 20 of the leaf or ply i9, as is shown in detail in Figure 6 of the drawing. The pin 22 is aperturedat 21 for the aforementioned lubrication of the outer face of said pin 22 and said turn 20 of the pivot E8.

The equalizer device D comprises a rocker 28 formed with a bearing 29 for .swingable connection with the shaft is. At opposite sides of this bearing 29 are long and short portions 38 and 3i, respectively, to the said rocker 28 for effecting variable leverage action to the said rocker 28. The short portion 30 is adjacent to the spring i3 while the long portion Si is next to the spring l4. This 'portion 30 has struck downwardly therefrom a channeled fulcrum rib or contact 32 engageable with the uppermost leaf or ply 33 at the rearward and downwardly curved end 34 thereof of the spring l3. This end 34 is sustained engaged with the fulcrum -.rib 32. The long portion ii of the rocker 28 has the pivot i8 betweenthe rocker 28 and the spring l4 enclosed thereby and also provides an overhang 35 to the said pivot i8. Lubricating cups 36 and 31, respectively, are carried by the rocker 28. The cup 36 is for lubricating the bearing 29 and the cup 3'! is adapted to lubricate the fulcrum rib 32 and the end 34 of the spring l3 coacting with this rib.

The spring l4 at the end 38 has contact with a removable wear piece 39 of a fulcrum 40 built in a hanger 4! which is provided with a lubricant cup 42 for the lubrication of the fulcrum 60 and the end 38 of the spring l4.

Fixed to and projecting outwardly from the sill or beam A of the chassis frame into the path or" the long and short portions 30 and Si of the rocker 28 is a stop 43 which limits the rocking motion through contact of the portions 30 andli therewith of the rocker 28 when the wheels B and C are disturbed through traction on the travel thereof over an irregular road bed. The stop 43 is in the form of a horn having the downwardly convergent or reversely beveled sides 44 in the path of movement of the rocker 28 for contact of the portions 30 and 3! alternately according to the swing of the said equalizer device. The equalizer device is automatically brought into operation on the travel of the wheels B and C in tandem arrangement over a ground surface so that when traction is had with irregularities therein or the wheel B engages a depression in such surface below the plane of contact or traction of the wheel C the said equalizer device effects a positive engagement of the wheel B with the surface contacted thereby to avoid any slippage and resultant loss of driving energy thereof. At the same time the equalizer device enables uniform distribution of the load of the vehicle between the tandem-arranged wheels B and C.

It may be found desirable to fasten the wheel C elevated from a ground surface so that the driving wheel B will operate singly in the tandem arrangement for traction on a road bed and to effect this the rear spring I 4 can be lifted and fastened in any suitable manner in its lifted po- Another leaf or ply 25 of this sition relieving the wheel C from traction upon the ground surface. In such event or instance the equalizer device D will be forwardly tilted in contact with the stopper 43. This disposition of the equalizer device D relieves it of equalizing activity in the tandem arrangement hereinbefore set forth.

The hanger 4! is made fast to the sill or beam A of the chassis frame and the fixture thereof is clearly shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the drawing and also the pivot I1 is fixed similarly to the sill or beam A of the said chassis frame of the vehicle. The equalizer devices D involving the rocker 28 is built with a bushing 45 related to the bearing 29 and the detailed construction and arrangement of the same is disclosed in Figure 4 of the drawing.

The driving wheel B is power driven in the usual conventional way.

The purpose of the long and short ends of the equalizer in its mounting is to distribute sixty percent of the load to the spring l3 and forty percent of the said lead to the spring l2 and thus obtain more traction on the driving axle and to assure proper braking safety.

What is claimed is:

The combination with a frame of an automobile, tandem arranged springs in longitudinal alinement and having their adjacent ends spaced apart, a drive axle secured to the forward spring in rear of a central point thereof, a pivotal connection between the forward end of the spring and the frame, a rocker member pivoted to the frame intermediate the ends of the springs and having a short arm slidably engaging the rear end of the forward spring, a pivotal connection between the long arm of the rocker member and the forward end of the rear spring, a sliding connection between the rear end of the rear spring and the frame, an axle secured to the rear spring forward of a central point thereof, and wheels carried by said axles.

FRANK PRAZEN. 

